Rental e-bikes stand at the Golden Gate Bridge overlook at Battery Spencer in the Marin Headlands. The site is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which is subject to a new federal policy on e-bikes. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)

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Under a policy change made last week by U.S. Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt, park superintendents have 30 days to identify their e-bike-friendly trails.

“As more Americans are using e-bikes to enjoy the great outdoors, national parks should be responsive to visitors’ interest in using this new technology wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so,” National Park Service Deputy Director Daniel Smith said in a statement. “They make bicycle travel easier and more efficient, and they provide an option for people who want to ride a bicycle but might not otherwise do so because of physical fitness, age, disability, or convenience, especially at high altitudes or in hilly or strenuous terrain.”

For Marin, the policy affects the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and the Point Reyes National Seashore. Point Reyes does not allow e-bikes on the 60 miles of bike trails it manages in both the seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area, according to Jennifer Stock, the park’s acting chief of interpretation and resource education.

“We just got it,” Stock said of the policy change, “so we’re just diving into it and will be reaching out again when we have figured out what it means for this park.”

Charlie Strickfaden, communications director for Golden Gate National Recreation Area, also said it’s too early to tell how this will impact park users.

“We’ll be evaluating this to ensure resources are protected and that we continue to reduce conflicts between users on our very popular trails,” he wrote in an email.

Reaction to the change has been mixed. Marin County Bicycle Coalition executive director Tarrell Kullaway said she agrees with California’s recognition of Class 1 e-bikes — which are pedal-assist and reach a maximum speed of 20 mph — as a regular bike in terms of access.

“The thing about the Class 1 bikes is it allows people of all ages and abilities to access the park,” she said.

But Kullaway had concerns that the federal policy also includes Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes. Class 2 e-bikes are throttle-powered and reach a maximum 20 mph, while Class 3 are pedal-assist bikes that can reach up to 28 mph.

“Some of our partner organizations at the national level are concerned this is a way to open up trails to all kinds of motor vehicles under the Trump administration,” Kullaway said. “We care just as much as the hikers and equestrians about keeping the trails pleasant for everybody.”

Nona Dennis of the Marin Conservation League said the league has tentative acceptance of e-bikes on paved and hard-surfaced multi-use roads and paths in national parks. But she said that’s provisional until the group gets clarity on where they’ll be allowed in local parks.

“We do not want to see e-bikes on trails such as single-track where conventional mountain bikes currently may be allowed and where enforcement of speed limits by any kind of bike is virtually nonexistent,” Dennis wrote in an email. “In a larger context, given the typical crowds of all ages and abilities in our most popular parks, the added presence of e-bikes will have to be closely monitored for the safety and comfort of all.”

The National Parks Conservation Association says the policy change “undermines the Park Service’s own management regulations that require analysis of new uses in parks and processes that allow for public input.”

In response, National Park Service spokesman Jeremy Barnum said there is no legal requirement for a public comment period when developing policy guidance. In the 30-day review period, Barnum added, “superintendents are encouraged to use this time to engage with stakeholders and visitors so that they understand where e-bikes will be allowed.”

Marin County agencies are also considering opening up trails to some e-bike use. On Sept. 17, the Board of Supervisors is set to consider an ordinance allowing Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes on paved roads, parking lots and paved multi-use paths in county parks, according to Ari Golan, county parks and open space superintendent.

Class 3 e-bikes could be allowed in certain areas as long as signage is installed. For county open space district land, only people with qualifying disabilities are allowed to use e-bikes and are limited to a maximum speed of 6 miles per hour, Golan said.

As to the new federal policy, Golan said, “I think it was really wise that they’re allowing the local superintendents to work with their communities and determining what’s appropriate for their park.”

The Marin Municipal Water District has also been considering for nearly a year whether to allow e-bikes on its fire roads in the Mount Tamalpais watershed. The district’s Citizens Advisory Committee is set to hold its first of eight planned discussions on the e-bike rules from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the district headquarters at 220 Nellen Ave. in Corte Madera.

After the meetings, the district board will review the recommendation at a future date, according to communications manager Jeanne Mariani-Belding.